Nurses union takes Iceland to court

Over 100 nurses have now resigned from the National University Hospital of Iceland (‘Landspítali’) and their union has decided upon legal action against the State.

Nurses are demanding higher wages and various other changes to their working environment, regarding such things as training, sick leave and involvement in healthcare policy-making.

According to the Icelandic Association of Nurses (FÍH), the figures show that nurses – who are 97.5% women, in full-time equivalent terms – are paid 14-25% less than other graduate disciplines.

“We are proud nurses and we cannot accept that in 2015 women are still fighting for gender pay equality,” reads a statement issued by sixteen nurses from the Landspítali’s Haematology Departments. “Our patience is running out.”

FÍH management decided yesterday to take the Icelandic State to court for the legislation passed last weekend banning strike action by nurses and intervening in the pay and conditions dispute.

The legislation is considered to contravene the Icelandic Constitution and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.